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Elitmiar
Asked: 2010-12-10 05:11:57 +0800 CST

Cannot append to mbox file error while fetching mail in Evolution

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Whenever I try to download mail using POP3 in Evolution I get the following message

Error while Fetching Mail.

Cannot append message to mbox file: /home/roland/.evolution/mail/local/Inbox: File too large

If anyone could give me an idea of how to fix this I would be greatful

10.04 evolution

4 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    If you are using lucid(10.04) you can use this ppa https://launchpad.net/~jacob/+archive/evo230 to fix this error.

    Some workarounds are also available to solve this error( eg: archivemail). There is bug report on launchpad regarding this. Just go through it: https://bugs.launchpad.net/evolution/+bug/197290

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  2. Try the following:

    1. Go to your mail site (google, hotmail, yahoo, etc..) and do a clean up of all the old files. Basically just to make sure you have only the most up to date ones. This should help evolution when fetching the files.

    2. Clean the INBOX in evolution just to make sure.

    3. Clean the TRASH in both, evolution and your mail webpage.

    4. Try to use evolution and see what happens.

    NOTE: Try to use thunderbird just for testing and comparing.

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  3. Ahhh. The problem is that, even though the Inbox is empty, IF the Trash folder is full, Evolution cannot append to the mbox file. Empty (Expunge) the Trash folder, and it starts working.

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  4. I found that worked for a while, however eventually the error comes back and does't go even if you do all of the above.

    In that instance what I did was rename the Inbox (mailbox file) contained in mail/local to Inbox_old then started evolution and downloaded the new mail. So now, it wouldn't allow me to access the old Inbox mail obviously. So, in order to access the old Inbox mail, I created another folder in Evolution, but not under Inbox - at the same level.

    Then I renamed the 'old' file that had been created in mail/local and copied the Inbox_old to 'old' and restarted Evolution. It complains a bit on the initial access of the 'old' folder, but then it starts rebuilding and sorts everything out.

    I now have a new Inbox and all my old inbox files full accessible via the new folder 'old' from within Evolution.

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